IN-PERSON London Heritages. Section A

Abstract

The church of Sant Rafael in Barcelona was planned in 1859 by Josep Oriol i Bernadet but was finally built between 1886 and 1889 by Elies Rogent i Amat, founder of the Barcelona’s School of Architecture. It was the chapel of the biggest Mental Hospital in Europe built on the outskirts of Barcelona. In its construction they used different innovative techniques from the construction point of view and also from the decorative one. The stained glass that lit all the temple has been in the church until recently. Canvas on the walls as well as different decorative elements formed part of this small chapel. During the XXth century this chapel was surrounded by the enlargement of the city of Barcelona until 1960. Finally got into decay, closed and totally forgotten in the middle of an urban park which almost provoked its falling down. It resisted during almost 40 years of neglect thanks to its technological and building strength. The social consciousness of the people of the district which had a memory linked to this chapel has allowed its recovery in recent years to develop, becoming the historical center of one of the biggest districts of the city of Barcelona.